Question: Simplify the following expression: $a = \dfrac{p - 8}{p + 6} + \dfrac{-2p + 7}{p + 6}$
Explanation: Since the expressions have the same denominator we simply combine the numerators: $a = \dfrac{p - 8 - 2p + 7}{p + 6}$ Combine like terms: $a = \dfrac{-p - 1}{p + 6}$